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Senate OKs resolution for new federal courthouse
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Posted on Aug 25 2008
The Senate has passed without amendment a House Joint Resolution requesting the U.S. Department of Justice to construct a new federal courthouse in the CNMI and appoint a U.S. Attorney, a U.S. Marshal, and a Chief Probation Officer to the Commonwealth.
The Senate yesterday informed House Speaker Arnold Palacios that the Senate on Friday adopted by a voice vote House Joint Resolution No. 16-7.
The joint resolution was passed in the House and transmitted to the Senate on June 23.
House Floor Leader Joseph James Norita Camacho, who authored the joint resolution, yesterday expressed appreciation to the Senate leadership for entertaining and passing it.
He said part of the resolution is a request that a new federal courthouse be build in the CNMI.
At present, the U.S. District Court for the NMI rents space on Saipan.
“What we are asking is [for] a new federal building to be established and built here,” said Camacho, who is a lawyer.
He noted that, except for the CNMI, every other jurisdiction has its own U.S. Attorney, U.S. Marshal, and U.S. Chief Probation Officer.
“Right now we have U.S. Attorneys Office, U.S. Probation Office, and U.S. Marshal’s Office. They have personnel that are assigned here but they’re not officed and housed here,” Camacho said.
“In Guam, they have their own caseload, they have their own priority cases. We need to have their own office here so that they can address our own priority type of cases here in the CNMI,” he added.
CNMI and Guam are the only districts to share a U.S. Attorney, U.S. Marshal, and Chief Probation Officer.
“The CNMI warrants the same dignity and respect as all other jurisdictions,” Camacho stated in the joint resolution.
